St. Thomas Edges Carleton for MIAC Women's Title, But Knights' Holden Is Medalist

COON RAPIDS -- The St. Thomas women's team rallied from four strokes behind with five holes to play and won the MIAC championship by a single shot on Monday.

Ultimately, it came down to Erin Dingmann, a sophomore from Kimball/Eden Valley-Watkins. She saved par on the 18th hole at Bunker Hills GC for a 77. That gave her a 54-hole total of 231 and second place individually. It also gave St. Thomas, which is ranked 13th in NCAA Division III golf, an aggregate of 314 for the day (the low four scores count), a cumulative 951 -- and another conference crown. 

It was the ninth MIAC team title for the Tommies, but the first since 2007. With the victory goes an automatic bid to the NCAA DIII Championships next May. 

Carleton, which was trying for its first conference crown, ended up with a 952. But the first-place trophy for the individual competition went back to Northfield with the 19th-ranked Knights. Shannon Holden, a freshman from California, won it by closing with a 75 for a three-day total of 229, which was two better than Dingmann's overall score. 

Holden is believed to be the first freshman to claim medalist honors at the MIAC tournament.

St. Benedict junior Bridget Cummings finished third, shot 78 and finished third with a 232, one behind Dingmann.

St. Thomas, which won four of the five  tournaments it entered this fall and tied for first in the other, ended up with three players in the top five individually at Bunker Hills. Senior Doyle O'Bien posted 77 for the second day in a row and grabbed fourth place with a 233. Next in line was Tommies freshmanRachel Morris, who was well back in the pack after opening with an 82, but rallied with a 79 on Sunday and a 76 on Monday to finish fifth at 238.

Carleton had four in the top 10. Besides Holden, junior Kelsey Mode finished sixth with a 239, sophomore Grace Gilmore was another stroke back in seventh at 240, and freshman Geraldine Tellbuescher tied for 10th with a 244.  

WOMEN'S COLLEGE GOLF
MIAC Championships
At Bunker Hills Golf Course
Par 72, 5,812 yards
Coon Rapids
Final results 

Fin.  Top 20 teams                     Scores         Total    Par 
   1  St. Thomas.....................  320  317  314    951    +87
   2  Carleton.......................  318  318  316    952    +88
   3  Gustavus.......................  320  326  326    972   +108
   4  Saint Benedict.................  317  343  335    995   +131
   5  Bethel.........................  328  337  338   1003   +139
   6  Concordia......................  337  331  337   1005   +141
   7  St. Olaf.......................  319  337  352   1008   +144
   8  Macalester.....................  332  343  347   1022   +158
   9  St. Catherine..................  355  338  340   1033   +169
  10  Augsburg.......................  360  365  365   1090   +226
  11  Saint Mary's...................  394  393  389   1176   +312


Fin.  Top 20 Players        Team                              Scores        Total    Par 
   1  Shannon Holden....... Carleton.......................   77   77   75    229    +13
   2  Erin Dingmann........ St. Thomas.....................   75   79   77    231    +15
   3  Bridget Cummings..... Saint Benedict.................   73   81   78    232    +16
   4  Doyle O'Brien........ St. Thomas.....................   79   77   77    233    +17
   5  Rachel Morris........ St. Thomas.....................   83   79   76    238    +22
   6  Kelsey Moede......... Carleton.......................   79   80   80    239    +23
   7  Grace Gilmore........ Carleton.......................   80   79   81    240    +24
   8  Sam Falk............. Gustavus.......................   79   79   83    241    +25
   9  Elena Baker.......... Macalester.....................   77   84   81    242    +26
t 10  GeraldineTellbuscher. Carleton.......................   82   82   80    244    +28
t 10  Mae Meierhenry....... Gustavus.......................   86   82   76    244    +28
t 10  Abby Perrenoud....... Bethel.........................   81   81   82    244    +28